Literature and Theology Advance Access published online on April 15, 2008
Literature and Theology, doi:10.1093/litthe/frn011
Reflection and The Aesthetics of Grace in Villette
Garden Flat, Abbey Road, London, UK
linda.freedman{at}kcl.ac.uk
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This article is a reading of the aesthetics of grace through the Pauline theology in Villette. Divine grace is given as a gift and is fulfilled only in death. I discuss the Pauline theology which underlies the novel and argue that the structures of giving and withholding are central to Lucy's sense of her own salvation. I explore the connection between surveillance and the Pauline idea of seeing through a glass darkly and argue that the aesthetics of grace are ultimately tied to the book's status as a reflected narrative.